Explosion-hatch for oil-tanks



B. E. HULL.

EXPLOSION HATCH FOR 011. TANKS.

APPLICATION HLED JAN-30,1920

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BURTON E. HULL, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNQRTO THE TEXAS COMPANY, A.

CORPORATION OF TEXAS. i

EXPLOSION-HATCH FOR OIL-TANKS.'

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 192i.

Application filed January 30, 1920. Serial No. 355,278.-

1." To all w]: 0772, it may Concern Be it known. that l, Bru'rox l). lli'mi, a citizen of the l'nited States of America. and a resident of Houston. county of Harris. and State of Texas. have invented certain new and useful Inrprovenients in Explosion-Hatches t'or Oil-Tanks. of which the following is a speeitieation. reference being had to the aeeoni mnying drawings, forming a pa rtthereot. i

This invention relates to explosion hatches for oil tanks and other containers. and has special reference to hatches tor the steel root's ot largev oil storage.- tanks.

()ne object of this inrent-ion is to provide a hatch of the aforesaid character which will readily permit, with a minimum oi? pressure within the tank. of the escape of the combustion gases through the hatehway, without damage to the hatch in case an explosion should occur within the tank.

It has been the aim of .his invention to avoid the leakage which has interfered with the operation of hatches ashitherto eonsti'ueted and to avoid other troubles and disadvantages which 'are well known to.

those skilled in this art.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will he set forth hereinatter. and in order that. it may be understood in detail, a preferred embodiment of the same. is shown in the amroinpanying drawings. in which:

Figure l is a sectional elevation showing an explosion hatch arranged and eonstructed in aceordaiu-e with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, taken on the line I'22 ot Fig. 17

In the drawings, 10 designates the steel root of a storage tank adapted to contain petroleum oil or the like.

An opening; '11 in the root is provided with a hollow oylimlriral projection 12 to constitute a hatrhway 13 which norn'ially Closed by a hatch 14- ha ving a substantially horizontal upper sur't'aee ot" eoi'isideiarble area.

The cylindrieal projection 12 has an aunu lar flange.- lrr which cooperates with the outer edge ot the projeetion' 12 in the formation of an annular groove or trough 1.6 wh'ieh. 'is'adaptod to receive a dowi'iwmdly extend ing annular rib 17 with wlrioh the hatch is equipped. The hatch turi'heriziore has an overhanging flange 18 to prevent the water from getting into the trough or groove it}. At the center. the hatch 14: is provided with a hug 1,) and a central opening 20 in which a tubular guide rod 221 is alliired. A strong and rigid stationary tranie is securely mounted on the tubular projection 12 ot the tank and eoniprises a stop plate "23 ha ving a central hole and bearing 24. and a plurality of rertical supporting bars 525 having radial extensions 26 to which the stop plate 23 is secured. The stop plate "3 has a substantially horizontal lower surt'are of considerable area to be engaged by the corresponding upper surface oi said hatch '1 l. The vertical rods Q?) are mounted at their lower ends on stationary brackets 27 which are allixed to the tubular projection 12. l urtherrnore; a central guide. bearing :28 is supported by radial arms 29 within the hatt-hway opening.

The tubular guide rod 21 which is affixed to the hatrh is su'tlieiently long to extend upwardly through the guide bearing: 24 when the hatch is elosed and downwardly through the guide hearing :28 ta-renough to prevent its riding out of the hearing .when the hatch is toreibly thrown up against ,the stop plate 523.

The. struoture may of worse he made of any suitable material. but I prefer to make the hatch of aluminum and the tube 9.1 of brass or the like so that the hatch with its eonneeted parts is very light and strong, It is thus adapted to respond easily and quickly to a slight increase oi pressure with in the tank. v i i It is pm'timilarly necessary to the joint between the hatoh and the tank in order to 'prew-ait leakage and. zit-cording to this invention. this is aeeoinplished by filling tit) in the trougl'i or groove 16 with. a mixture of parallin and sand. Another'material whieh has been employed with {200d success and may he considered preferable is on) grease. having. a melting pointot about llltl F.

The arrangement sueh that when the hatch is in position the rib or flange 17 tor-ins a groove in the grease or sealing mixture in the trough 16 said agas trignt seal is ell ecter. "lho tuhular rod 21 is provided with a (cap 30 at the, top to prevent leakage.

from the taut: thrmigh the tube.

' in action.

In operation if an ei'plosion occurs within the tank by reason of a lightning discharge, or for other cause, the aluminum hatch is thrown upward violently against the strong and 'rigid plate and after bouncing up and down two or three times,

relieving the pressure. it shuts the hatchway and seals it so that fire in the tank is extinguished, the tank being air-tight and filled with inert gas, so that further combustion is impossible. The construction and arrangement of the supporting frame 22 and the stop plate 23 insures the positive arrestment of the hatch even though the action may be extremely violent. Hence. the batch is in position and in readiness to close the hatchway and prevent further combustion It is important to avoid the use of any material which will harden around the flange 17 of the hatch and thus elevate the pressure necessary to lift the hatch.

Various other advantages of the foregoing invention will be apparent to those skilled in this art, but ttention may be directed to the fact that he hatch. is free from hinges and other localized connections to the tank which tend to interfere with its openingreadily. The hatch is preferably made of light material which is not oxidized biy moisture and permits the hatch to be readily lifted. Furthermore, the seal is one which prevents leakage of gas and yet does not interfere with the sensitiveness of the hatch As an illustration of difficulties hitherto encountered, hatches of the hinge type have in some cases been blown entirely off their hinges and in other cases they have been thrown open but failedto close, tight enough to )revent the continuation of fire within. V structure of preferred form has been illustrated and described forthe purpose of showing a way in which this invention may be used. but the inventive thought upon which this application is based. is broader than this illustrative embodiment thereof, and no limitations are imposed other than those in. appended claims.

Claims:

l. The combination with a closed tank having a hatchway, of ahatch for closing the hatchway, a rod attached to the hatch, a guide frame secured to the tank and having guide bearings for the rod to allow the hatch to open and close as the rod slides in the guide bearings. and means disposed above said hatch and secured .to said tank for limiting the outward movement of said hatch by engagement therewith. i

2. The combination with a closed tank having a hatchway. a-hatch for closing the hatchway, a vertical rod secured to the hatch and extending outwardly therefrom. a. frame secured to the tank and 'extcndim above said hatch and having a stop adapted to be engaged by said hatch to limit the outward movement thereof and a guide hearing for the vertical hatch rod.

3. The combination with a closed tank having a hatchway, of a hatch adapted to close the hatchway. a'central rod secured to the" hatch and extending outwardly and, inwardly therefrom, guide bearing secured in the opening of the hatchway for guiding the inner end of the rod, and a guide hearing supported from the tank and spaced above the hatchway for guiding the outer end of the hatch rod.

4. The combination with a closed tank having a hatchway, of a hatch adapted to close the hatchway, a central rod secured to the hatch and extending outwardly and inwardly therefrom, a guide bearing secured in the opening of the hatchway for guiding the inner end of the rod, and a guide bearing supported from the tank and spaced above the hatchway for guiding the outer end of the hatch rod and for limiting the outward movement of the hatch by ongagement therewith.

5. The combination with a roof tank havinr a hollow cylindrical projection extendin; vertically and forming a hatchway. a hatch adapted to rest upon the cylindrical projection and close the hatchway, means for guiding the hatch in a straight line vertical motion, and means rigidly secured to said cylindrical projection and .disposed above said hatch to be engaged thereby for limiting movement thereof in an outward direction.

6. The combination with a root tank having a hollow cylindrical projection extending vertically upward and forming a hatch way, a hatch adapted to rest upon the cylin drical projection and close the hatchway, a frame having a stop plate spaced above the hatch opening and adapted to be engaged by said hatch for limiting the outward movement thereof, a guide hearing within the hatch opening, and a hatch rod extcmb ing inwardly through the guide bearing and adapted to guide the hatch in a vertical direction.

7. The combination with a roof tank hav ing a hollow cylindrical projection extending vertically and forming a hatchway, a. hatch adapted to rest upon the cylindrical projection and close the hatehway, a frame having a stop plate spaced above the hatch openlng and adapted to be engaged by said hatch for limiting the outward movement thereof, a guide hearing within the hatch opening, a second guide hearing at the stop plate, a rod secured to the hatch and en tending vertically out ard through the guide bearing in the stop plate and inwardly through the guide bearing in the hatchway.

8. The combination with a closed tank flg a hatchway, a hatch for closing the hatchway, a vertical rod secured to the hatch and extending outwardly therefrom, a frame secured to the tank and extending above said hatch and having a stop adapted to be engaged by said hatch to limit the "above the hatchway tor guidingthe outer cnd of the hatch rod and for limiting the outward movement of the hatch by engage ment therewith, said hatchway being arranged tprlform an annular groove containing a sealing material and said hatch haw ing a rib arranged to extend into said groove.

If). The combination having ahollow cylindrical projection extending vertically and forming a hatchway, a hatch adapted to rest upon the cylindrical projection and close the lnitchwav, a frame having a stop plate spaced above the hatch opening for limiting the outward movement of the hatch by engagement therewith, a guide .bearing within the hatch opening, a second guide hearing at the stop plate, a rod secured'tothc hatch and extending vertically outward through the guide bearing in the stop plate and inwardly through the guide bearing in the hatch ay, said hatchway being arranged to form an annular groove containing a sealing material and said hatch having a rib arranged to extend into said groove.

11. The combination with a closed tank having a hatchway, and a movable hatch for closing the hatchway, of means for guiding the hatch in a straight line motion,and

with a roof tank stop means disposed above said hatch and adapted to be engaged thereby when it is forcibly raised for positively limiting the upward movement thereof.

12. The combination with a closed tank having a hatchway, and a movable hatch for closing the hatchway, having a sub stantially horizontal plane upper surface throughout a substantial portion of its area, of means for guiding the hatch in a vertical motion, and rigid stop means disposed above said hatch and having a substantially.

horizontal lower surface adapted to be engaged by the substantially horizontal upper surface of said hatch when it is forcibly raised for positively limiting its upward n'ioven'u-rnt.

13. The combination with a closed tank, a cylindrical projection extending vertically upward therefrom forming a hatchway, and

means associated with the upper periphery of said cylindrical projection for forming an annular groove, containing a sealing material, of a movable hatch adapted to rest upon the upper periphery of said cylindrical projection and having a downwardly extending flange entering into the sealing material in said annular groove to form an effective seal, and also having a downwardly extending peripheral flange dispbsed beyond theouter wall of said annular groove to prevent the entrance of water therein, means for guiding the vertical movement of said movable hatch, and rigid stop means disposed above said hatch and adapted to be engaged thereby for positively limiting the upward movement thereof.

14. The combination with a closed tank having a hatchway, a hatch adapted to close the hatchway, a rod attached to the hatch, a guide bearing for the rod to allow the hatch to open and close, and a single means for supporting said guide bearing and for limiting the outward movement of the hatch.

in witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 27th day of January,

BURTON E. HULL. 

